Sometimes you stumble upon a gem of place that is world famous and you don't even realize it. Here…read moreI am 5 years on and realize just how amazing this store is! 2019 Was traveling around the 50 states and hopped into this place as I was passing by... Just blown away by the instruments they had! Not sure how long I was in there, but everything from droolworthy original D'Angelicos, original Epiphones and more... So much of music's history of the past to the present. After I get home and watching guitar videos I keep seeing this store pop up. Keep saying 'Hey, I was there!'... Do. yourself a favor and stop by. See the amazing selection of instruments they have on hand / display. The staff was super friendly and always willing to help when I asked. Thanks guys! Look forward to seeing you again!

Sometimes you stumble upon a gem of place that is world famous and you don't even realize it. Here…read moreI am 5 years on and realize just how amazing this store is! 2019 Was traveling around the 50 states and hopped into this place as I was passing by... Just blown away by the instruments they had! Not sure how long I was in there, but everything from droolworthy original D'Angelicos, original Epiphones and more... So much of music's history of the past to the present. After I get home and watching guitar videos I keep seeing this store pop up. Keep saying 'Hey, I was there!'... Do. yourself a favor and stop by. See the amazing selection of instruments they have on hand / display. The staff was super friendly and always willing to help when I asked. Thanks guys! Look forward to seeing you again!

I didn't end up purchasing anything, but as a music lover, I wanted to see what was available. Very…read morecomplete store. The guys working there are so kind and attentive! They let me play one of their pianos for a little bit. Will be back for a guitar soon.

they don't even try to setup demo guitars, the locking tuners were loose, it was out of tune and I…read morecan't even use the guitar because the fret buzz is so bad. I popped a string off trying to tune it because the locking tuner for that string was all the way loose. They just grab it off the wall and box it up I guess. I will be going to a small guitar shop to get this thing setup correctly

Terrible. I lost a good piece of gear I sent in for repair. Their estimate was equal to the…read morereplacement cost. I said I wanted it returned which they would not agree to until the bench time they put in to assess the repair cost was paid ( this was supposed to be $25 but it turned out to be the price of a new unit. ) There is not a low enough rating so I had to give them 1 star - be very cautious or better yet go elsewhere.

I have been a customer of Main Drag since 2013. I have purchased and sold instruments and effects…read moreunits, attended events and trusted them with repairs of some of my most beloved possessions. I purchased my prized Sunn S2000 from Main Drag after a long and thoughtful conversation with the owner, Karl in 2021. Unfortunately, a recent occurrence has completely eroded my trust in Main Drag. In December 2024, I left a guitar to be sold on consignment. I received a fairly generous rate and a PO guaranteeing that I would be informed of the sale and be paid my share of approximately $1600 3-4 weeks after the sale. I was never in formed of the sale. When I independently discovered that the item had sold, I entered into a months-long wild goose chase with Karl. I have been promised payment by a particular date numerous times, all of which have fallen through, and have been left with my emails ignored for weeks at a time. It is impossible to get anyone on the phone. My next step will likely be small claims court.

NYC Guitar school is one stop for learning guitar, restarting guitar, singing or wanting community…read morewith other musicians (there are also ukulele, bass lessons - and a ROBUST rock band program). In addition to classes there are many events at NYC Guitar School from open mic, workshops, guest talks... SONG LAB is a great new addition to that line up - members and non-members alike can join. Song Lab is a 3 hour block - everyone involved (ALL levels of singers, bassists, rhythm guitars, lead guitars) are taught their part of the chosen song by one the amazing teachers at NYC Guitar School. By the end of the 3 hours the song is played as a group in a performance type setting. Past SONG LAB songs include Rebel Rebel, Sweet Child of Mine, Creep, My Girl. SONG LAB is an amazing way to start playing with other people, test your skills, learn new skills, learn a song you have always wanted to play in record time, meet other musicians that you will see again in either virtual or in person classes, open mics, or join in rock band. My overall experience with NYC Guitar school and their top tier teachers has been so gratifying - I highly recommend Song Lab to anyone new or seasoned - it is a lot of fun.

I started playing guitar when I was 13, and now I'm in my 70s. I never took a guitar lesson until…read morea couple of years ago, when I joined NYC Guitar School. It's terrific, and my teacher (Josh Torvi) has helped me a lot. What I like most about Josh is his flexibility. He understands that each student needs to be taught differently. I'm an old guy, somewhat set in my ways. Josh doesn't force me to play in a certain style, learn certain songs, or insist I learn music theory. He doesn't tell me what to do. At the start of each lesson, he asks me what I want to work on. He'll gently suggest I try new things and get out of my comfort zone, but he doesn't push me when I just want to have fun and play stuff I know. That's what keeps me coming back every week.

My 16-year old decided he wanted to spend all of his summer job money on a Keytar. As a child of…read morethe '80s, I thought this was a fantastic idea. Plus, I'd rather he buy a Keytar than Fentanyl. He said he wanted the Roland AX Edge. I took him to the first place that came to mind -- the Giant Electronics Store with All the Things. They carried them -- but not in white, the color my son wanted. My son was sad. This made me sad. I fired up Yelp and discovered a Big Music Chain Store was nearby. We went there. They too had them in stock, but not in white. My son was sad again. This made me sad again. I fired up Yelp and saw we were close to a place called Rogue Music, so I called. Did they carry the Roland AX Edge Keytar? Yes, they did. Did they have it in white? Yes, they did! My son was happy. This made me happy. We dashed over. The store is the quintessential New York City store experience: Many, many things packed into a small space. It was all business, no flash. Stacks of synths, keyboards and rack electronics. This is the kind of store where people who know their stuff come to get their stuff. No doubt many members of famous bands had once stood in the very same three-foot square space that my son and I were currently occupying (as I said, the place is packed with goodies). The owner calculated the price in his head and used a pen to write the receipt on a piece of paper -- like my son's new Keytar, it was a lovely throwback to the 1980s.

They listed a Drawmer 1960 on Reverb and I went into the store to buy it. The sales rep was really…read morenice and did a great job packing up the compressor so I could carry it home. It works perfectly. Competitively priced gear.

They are absolutely so cordial so helpful and so kind. I highly recommend them This is the placeread more

Whether you're in NYC or Alaska THIS is the ONLY place to bring your horn for repairs!!!! And they…read morehave an incredible array of new and collector's horns, mouthpieces, reeds, virtually anything you need. Honest, reliable, solid and technically proficient to the highest degree...Jon, Rachel, and the guys are the musical equivalent of NASA engineers!!!!

Very grateful to Bela at Finlay + Gage for replacing a bridge on my daughter's violin same day so…read moreshe could take the stage at Carnegie Hall two days later! Hero

Highlights: * Huge bass selection!…read more* The website offers scheduled appointments for repairs and sales; but they accept drop-ins too. * Open on Saturdays * Competent and reasonable repair staff We've been to Finlay and Gage a few times in the past year. In my opinion, it's the closest thing to a mecca in New York City for upright bass players. They have a huge stockpile of new and pre-owned basses at a variety of price points. The staff is personable and down to earth. Their repair staff is quite competent and reasonable. Two experiences: 1) The fingerboard of the upright bass at my son's school bass had come off, and needed to be reattached. The shop was particularly busy and had given a timeline of a few weeks. 2) We had a mishap with a cat on our personal Shen SB80 bass that caused the bridge to shift a little bit. We got it back into place by eye, and lived with it for a month or two, but with a performance coming up, we wanted to make sure it was in tip-top shape. We met with Zoe. She did a quick diagnostic and made some quick adjustments (fine tuned the position and angle of the bridge; tweaked the soundpost down slightly), and she sent us on our way in less than 5 minutes. Noted that we had some mild pitting on the soundboard, but could take care of that later. No charge on this visit. For that we'll be eternally grateful - it helped make my son's first public performance on his personal bass a resounding success. It's been a few weeks now and wow, these little tweaks really made some measurable differences in playability and volume. The action feel great for both pizz/jazz and arco. I wouldn't hesitate to bring an instrument there for a check up. Pro tip: As of early 2025, there is metered parking around the corner on Church St starting at 2pm on weekdays. So if you're driving yourself, you have some options if you're bringing your bass in or are picking up.

I feel a tad bit overzealous writing a 2nd review for The Music Inn so soon but I just had to make…read morethese thoughts public. The Music Inn open mic is hands down one of the best in the world! So I live on Long Island and it can be pretty daunting at times driving all the way into the city, especially on a Thursday during rush hour, however The Music Inn is totally worth it, and then some!! Sign up starts at 730 (best to line up as early as possible though, say around 630ish) and performances begin at about 8. Last night it ran to about, and every act was incredible. I performed as well and the audience was super supportive and engaging. I saw one person who was there for the first time and they had such a ball that they ended up buying a gong, for like $200+. I love that! He would randomly hit it outside and proclaim loudly "I fricking love this place!" and I found it absolutely hilarious. The best part for me was the impromptu jam happening outside on the covid-era outdoor patio section. I joined in and we jammed for at least an hour, singing and playing everything from blues to rock to jazz. Lately on my daily drives I've been learning how to sing "Devil town" by Daniel Johnston and this was the perfect opportunity to try and perform it. Everyone joined in, we had a lead guitarist, a drummer (playing on a makeshift high hat from an empty plastic chinese food container), and several guitarists keeping rhythm. It was such a magical time! Oh and the cover is only about $5-7, depending if performing or not. If you're looking for some of the most authentic and passionate music in the city, head to Music Inn on Thursday nights at 8pm, you won't regret it!

4 stars for the open mic…read more It seems to be total anarchy there-- which produces good art, but expect less than professional handling of things on the part of the staff. But then they are probably just young kids being exploited, so...

Always bring my guitars here when I need something done. I've known Paul for about 9 years now I…read morethink? Setups are great. I don't even try the guitars in shop when I pick them up after a setup, because they've always been so consistently great. Bought a really expensive used Meshuggah 8 string guitar, and brought it directly to him to set up; plays like brand new. Brought him a used 7 string that was out of wack, he set it up perfect and also installed a shim to turn the floyd into a hard tail. Be's brought several old acoustics of mine back from the dehydrated dead, and sound great. I first met him when I was looking for someone to put together a custom lucite flying v guitar comprised of parts sourced from all over the place. A project that could have gone horribly wrong, he took and made it the best it could possibly be. He even suggested and routed battery compartments behind the pickups to retain the cleanest possible look from the see through body. Paul is a genius. He is in my phone as "Guitar Genius Paul" since I first reached out to him in 2008. All the negative reviews, take with a grain of salt.. Everyone knows how needy and bitchy these kinds of people can be. Paul is not only reasonable, he's extremely cool!

I have been a customer of Guitartech for going on 6 years now, and have experienced nothing short…read moreof superb customer service. Paul & Joe are great at what they do, and genuinely care about me as a customer, but also as a guitarist. I trust every word of advice that I am given about guitars and all things related to them. I grew so confident through my experience with them, that I had a custom guitar built by Paul. It has been an invaluable piece of my journey as a musician. Amazing place!

I was looking for the first CD recorded by our band, Boricua Legends, more than 13 years ago and…read morefound it at El Barrio Music Center. I had contacted people in Japan and Netherlands who said they had it but couldn't deliver it to me. This store has music that you can't find in other places. The owner is very pleasant and provides great customer service.

This store has a lot of CD's, instruments, and miscellaneous objects (shirts, posters, toys, etc)…read more Towards the back of the store they have a couple of crates full of records which is the main reason I stayed for two hours. They have a lot of records, 95% of which are latin: mostly salsa with a lot of Fania, a lot of boleros and slower Latin music, and some English here and there. They have a lot of repeats as well. I went into this store on a short visit to NY, but will make it obligatory to stop by every time I'm in town from now on. Also spoke with the guy working the store the whole time and he provided great service.